Monday, February 15, 2010

Lieberman: No fruition for talks


JPOST.COM STAFF
15/02/2010 13:59

FM says large part of negotiations process is the delegitimization of Israel.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Monday that even if peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority now resume, nothing will come to fruition. “The question must be asked, who does the Palestinian Authority represent? [PA President] Abu Mazen [Mahmoud Abbas] does not represent Gaza because Hamas rules there, and since [Hamas] won elections three times, it isn’t at all clear who [Abbas] represents. It isn’t clear if he is capable of coming up with the goods in negotiations,” Army Radio quoted Lieberman as telling the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

The foreign minister also accused the PA government of spearheading an international smear campaign against Israel. Part of this effort, he said, is actually aided by Israel with funds “given to the PA.”

"Most of the appeals against senior commanders around the world are financed by the Palestinian Authority and initiated by it," Lieberman said.

Lieberman's statements were made on the same day that the London-based Times reported that opposition leader Tzipi Livni may be willing to face arrest on war crimes charges in order to provoke the UK government to amend its current law which allows private citizens to secure warrants for war crimes committed outside of British borders.

In support of Livni, Lieberman said, “I have no faith in someone who comes out with charges of war crimes against Livni or against other Israeli officials. In every conversation between Palestinians and international representatives, they begin the discussion with their lack of faith in our honest intentions."

No comments: